Panasonic Lumix TS10 offers rugged features, cool price

Panasonic announces the Lumix DMC-TS10, a new rugged point-and-shoot camera. It offers waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof functionality for a significantly lower price than its existing TS-series counterpart.

The Lumix TS10 is equipped with a 14.1 megapixel sensor, an internally contained 4x optical zoom lens, and Panasonic’s iA intelligent auto shooting mode. Thanks to a rugged design, it can be used in up to 10 feet underwater and temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. It can withstand a drop from a height up to 5 feet, and it’s sealed for protection against dust and sand.

Conforming to what seems to be the new standard, the TS10 will offer 720p HD video recording. Unlike the TS2, it doesn’t have a dedicated one-touch video record button. The TS10 does feature a 2.7-inch, 320k-dot LCD. Panasonic offers its Mega O.I.S. optical image stabilization system to counter image blur.

As a lower-cost alternative to the likes of the TS2, the TS10 isn’t quite as rugged as the existing model. Selling for a discounted $360 on Panasonic’s site at the time of this writing, the TS2 promises waterproof functionality up to 33 feet and is shockproof to 6.6 feet. The TS2 is also outfitted with a wider angle lens: an equivalent of 28-128mm to the TS10’s 35-140mm lens. The $250 TS10’s natural competition will be the Olympus Stylus Tough cameras priced around the same level, namely the Tough-3000, a camera that we recently put through the rigors of a full review.

Pricing and availabilityThe Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS10 will be introduced at an MSRP of $249.95 beginning mid-September. It will be offered in red, blue, black and silver.